Any sign hereafter erected or maintained shall
conform to the provisions of this article and any other Borough ordinances
or regulations.
A.
The area of a sign shall be construed to include all
lettering, wording and accompanying designs and symbols, together
with the background, whether open or enclosed, on which they are displayed,
but not including any supporting framework and bracing which are incidental
to the display itself.
B.
The area of a sign painted upon or applied to a building
shall be considered to include all lettering, wording and accompanying
designs to symbols, together with any backing associated with the
sign.
C.
Where the sign consists of individual letters or symbols
attached to or painted on a surface, building, wall, or window, the
area shall be considered to be that of the smallest rectangle or other
regular geometric shape that can enclose such letters or symbols.
D.
In computing square-foot area of a double-faced sign,
only one side shall be considered, provided that both faces are identical.
If the interior angle formed by the two faces of the double-faced
sign is greater than 45°, then both sides of such sign shall be
considered in calculating the sign area.
A.
A "directly illuminated sign" is a sign designed to give forth artificial light directly, or through transparent or translucent material, from a source of light within such sign, including but not limited to neon and exposed-lamp signs. Directly illuminated signs that also meet the criteria set forth in § 130-73 hereof are permitted, but only in the C-1 and C-2 Districts.
[Amended 6-21-2011 by Ord. No. 523]
(1)
Festoon lighting. "Festoon lighting" is a directly
illuminated sign, including a group of incandescent light bulbs either
hung or strung overhead or used to outline a sign or other structure,
but not including festive lighting. Festoon lighting is not permitted.
B.
An "indirectly illuminated sign" is a sign illuminated
with a light so shielded that no direct rays therefrom are visible
elsewhere on the lot where said illumination occurs. If such shielding
device is defective, such sign shall be deemed to be a directly illuminated
sign.
C.
A "flashing sing" is an illuminated sign on which
the artificial light is not maintained stationary and constant in
intensity and color at all times when in use. Flashing signs are not
permitted.
D.
A "nonilluminated sign" is a sign which is nonilluminated,
either directly or indirectly.
A.
An "on-premises sign" is a sign which directs attention
to an activity conducted on the same lot.
B.
An "off-premises sign" is a sign which directs attention to an activity not conducted on the same lot. Off-premises signs are not permitted except as noted in § 130-72A(2).
C.
An "advertising sign" is an off-premises sign which
advertises or otherwise directs attention to a commodity, business,
industry, home occupation or other similar activity which is sold,
offered or conducted elsewhere than on the lot upon which such sign
is located. Advertising signs are not permitted.
D.
A "business sign" is an on-premises sign which directs
attention to a business, commodity, service, industry or other activity
which is sold, offered, or conducted other than incidentally on the
premises upon which such sign is located or to which it is affixed.
E.
A "window sign" is any business sign which is oriented
to the public right-of-way and is attached to the outside or inside
of a window. All window signs shall be limited in size to 20% of the
total glass area of the window.
F.
A "political sign" is a sign which announces or advocates
any candidate for political office or a ballot question, provided
that any such sign does not exceed 16 square feet in area.
G.
A "freestanding sign" is a self-supporting sign resting
on or supported by means of poles of standards on the ground. The
height of freestanding signs shall be measured from the average grade
at the sign to the top of the sign. Freestanding signs shall not overhang
the sidewalk.
H.
A "parallel sign" is a sign mounted parallel to a
wall or other vertical building surface. Parallel signs shall not
extend beyond the edge of any wall or other surface to which they
are mounted and shall not project more than six inches from its surface.
I.
A "projecting sign" is any sign mounted to a wall
or other vertical building surface other than a parallel sign. Projecting
signs shall not project more than two feet from the wall or surface
to which they are mounted, shall not extend beyond the edge of any
wall or other surface to which they are mounted, shall be at least
eight feet to the bottom of the sign above the ground level immediately
below and shall not in any way interfere with normal pedestrian or
vehicular traffic. No signs shall overhang or project above the public
sidewalks, streets or alleys.
J.
A "temporary sign" is any sign not intended to be
in place, or actually in place, longer than six months.
K.
An "outdoor advertising sign" is a freestanding sign on which is
portrayed information which generally directs attention to a business
or a service.
[Added 11-19-2013 by Ord. No. 531]
A.
The following types of signs and flags and no other
shall be permitted in residential districts:
(1)
On-premises signs and flags:
(a)
Nonilluminated signs displayed strictly for
the direction, safety or convenience of the public, including signs
which identify rest rooms, telephone booths, parking area entrances
or exits, freight entrances or the like, provided that the area of
any one side of any such sign shall not exceed two square feet.
(b)
Flags representing governmental, educational
or religious organizations.
(c)
One nonilluminated sign posted in conjunction
with doorbells or mailboxes, provided that the area on any one side
of any such sign shall not exceed 36 square inches.
(d)
One nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated
bulletin or announcement board or identification sign for a permitted
institutional use, provided that the area on any one sign shall not
exceed 20 square feet.
(e)
One nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated
sign in connection with a lawfully maintained nonconforming use, provided
that the area on any one side of any such sign shall not exceed 12
square feet.
(f)
One temporary nonilluminated sign advertising
the sale or rental of the premises upon which said sign has been erected,
provided that the area of any such sign shall not exceed six square
feet and such sign shall be removed upon sale or rental of the property.
All signs shall be located at least 15 feet away from the property
line unless the structure is located closer to the front line.
(g)
One temporary nonilluminated sign erected in
connection with the development or proposed development of the premises
by a builder, contractor, developer or other persons interested in
such sale or development, provided that the area of any such sign
shall not exceed 20 square feet and such sign shall be removed within
20 days after the last structure has been initially occupied or within
six months after the final inspection by the Zoning Officer, whichever
occurs first.
(h)
Temporary nonilluminated signs of mechanics
or artisans may be erected and maintained during the period such persons
are performing work on the premises on which such signs are erected,
provided that such signs shall be removed upon completion of work
by the mechanic or artisan and the total areas of all such signs shall
not exceed six square feet.
(i)
Signs announcing no trespassing, signs indicating
the private nature of the road, driveway or premises, and signs controlling
fishing or hunting on the premises, provided that the area of any
one side of any such sign shall not exceed 200 square inches.
(j)
Nonilluminated or indirectly illuminated memorial
signs or historical signs or tablets.
(k)
No more than eight political signs per lot.
(2)
Off-premises signs. Off-premises signs are not permitted
except as follows. Signs permitted within this section may also be
on-premises.
(a)
Signs necessary for the direction, regulation
and control of traffic, street name signs, legal notices, warnings
at railroad crossings, and other official signs which are similarly
authorized or erected by a duly constituted governmental body.
(b)
Temporary nonilluminated signs directing persons
to temporary exhibits, shows or events and sponsored by a nonprofit
organization may be erected subject to the following requirements:
B.
General regulations in residential districts.
(1)
Freestanding roof signs are prohibited. Freestanding
ground signs may not exceed six feet to the top of the sign.
(2)
Projecting signs or portions of such signs shall not
be located less than eight feet nor more than 12 feet above the ground
level immediately below such sign.
(3)
Parallel signs or portions of such signs shall not
be located more than 12 feet above the ground level immediately below
such sign.
A.
On-premises signs. No on-premises sign shall be permitted
except as follows:
(1)
All signs permitted in § 130-72, Subsection A. by the standards prescribed therein, unless otherwise provided in this section, and except for those signs described in § 130-72A(1)(h), which latter signs may encompass up to 12 square feet in the C-1 and C-2 Districts.
(2)
Parallel and projecting business signs, provided that:
(a)
There shall be only one sign per building except
for buildings on corner lots.
(b)
The total area of all parallel and projecting
signs for each establishment shall not exceed one square foot for
each foot of length of the front building walls or length of that
portion of such wall which is devoted to such establishment. Corner
buildings may divide total square feet on signage permitted to two
sides.
(c)
If such establishment does not occupy any floor
area on the ground level of the building, other than an entryway,
the maximum area per foot of length of the front building wall or
portion thereof shall be only 1/2 square foot.
(3)
Freestanding business signs, provided that:
(a)
Only one such sign shall be permitted on each
property.
(b)
The area of any such sign shall not exceed 40
square feet, and such sign shall not exceed 10 linear feet in length
or height. Such a sign may be double-faced.
(c)
Freestanding signs mounted or otherwise affixed
to the roof of a building are not permitted.
(d)
The maximum height of freestanding business
signs shall be 25 feet from curb level to the top of the sign.
(e)
Gasoline service stations. Such stations shall
be permitted one freestanding brand-name sign not to exceed 20 square
feet in area nor to be higher than 12 feet to the bottom of the sign.
No flags, pennants, pinwheels, or temporary signs shall be permitted.
B.
Off-premises signs. All signs permitted in § 130-72A(2) by the standards prescribed therein shall be permitted in C-1 and C-2 Districts.
C.
Illuminated
signs. In addition to all other requirements of the Zoning Ordinance,
any illuminated sign must meet the following:
[Added 6-21-2011 by Ord. No. 523]
(1)
Illuminated
signs shall not be of a moving or intermittent type, and all illumination
shall be constant in intensity and color at all times when in use.
(2)
There
shall be no illumination of any free-standingsign between the hours
of midnight and 6:00 a.m., except that signs may be illuminated when
the business is open.
(3)
Illuminated
signs located adjacent to any residential area shall be located and
installed to reduce glare for residential buildings in the line of
sight of the sign.
(4)
Directly
illuminated signs shall be designed so that when illuminated at night,
only the letter and logos are visible. This shall be done by using
an opaque background with translucent letters and logos. No light
shall emanate through the background, the borders, sides, or any other
surface of the sign or supporting structure.
D.
Outdoor advertising sign as a special exception in the C-2 District.
All outdoor advertising signs must meet the following:
[Added 11-19-2013 by Ord. No. 531]
(1)
Location. Outdoor advertising signs shall only be permitted as a
principal use in the C-2 Zoning District, and shall be located as
follows:
(a)
Minimum side yard: 10 feet.
(b)
Minimum rear yard: 25 feet.
(c)
Minimum front yard: 16 feet from cartway.
(d)
In addition, no outdoor advertising sign shall be erected in
such a manner as to block the view from the road or street of any
existing business sign, or residential or nonresidential structure.
(e)
Outdoor advertising signs shall maintain a minimum spacing of
750 feet between any existing or proposed outdoor advertising sign
structures on both sides of the street. Distance shall be measured
between the closest points on each sign. A maximum of one two-sided
outdoor advertising sign per property is permitted.
(f)
Outdoor advertising signs shall not be mounted on a roof, wall
or other part of a building or any other structure.
(2)
Size and height.
(a)
An outdoor advertising sign shall have a maximum allowable gross
surface area of 200 square feet per sign, counting both sides of any
two-sided sign. An outdoor advertising sign shall have a maximum of
two sign faces per structure.
(b)
The outdoor advertising sign structure may have sign faces placed
back to back or in a V-shaped configuration on a single outdoor advertising
sign structure. The intersecting angle shall not exceed 30°. Such
a V-shaped sign shall be considered as a two-sided sign for purposes
of these regulations, including allowable gross surface area.
(c)
There shall be a maximum height of 35 feet from ground to top
of sign measured at any point along the sign.
(d)
The face of the sign will include all alphanumeric characters,
graphics or symbols defined by a small number of matrix elements using
different combinations of light emitting diodes (LED), fiber optics,
light bulbs or other illumination devices within the display area,
including computer programmable, microprocessor controlled electronic
displays and projected images or messages with these characteristics.
(3)
Illumination of electronic display signs. Any outdoor advertising
sign utilizing electronic display techniques in whole or in part must
meet the following operational standards:
(a)
Duration. The full outdoor advertising sign image or any portion
thereof must have a minimum duration of 30 seconds and must be a static
display. No portion of the image may flash, scroll, twirl, move or
in any way imitate movement.
(b)
Transition. In instances where the full outdoor advertising
sign image or any portion thereof changes, the change sequence must
be accomplished by means of instantaneous re-pixelization of less
than one second.
(c)
Dimmer control. Electronic graphic display signs must have an
automatic dimmer control to produce a distinct illumination change
from a higher illumination level to a lower level with the result
being the appearance of the outdoor advertising sign will be no greater
than a conventional outdoor advertising sign externally illuminated.
No off-premises advertising sign (outdoor advertising sign) shall
be erected without a light detector/photocell, a scheduled dimming
timer, or a manual control by which the sign's brightness can be dimmed
when ambient light conditions darken.
(d)
Audio or pyrotechnics. Audio speakers or any form of pyrotechnics
are prohibited in association with outdoor advertising signs.
(e)
Fluctuating or flashing illumination. No portion of any outdoor
advertising sign may fluctuate in light intensity or use intermittent,
strobe or moving light or light that changes in intensity in sudden
transitory bursts, steams, zooms, twinkles, sparkles, or in any manner
creates the illusion of movement.
(f)
Video display. No portion of any outdoor advertising sign may
change its message or background in a manner or by a method of display
characterized by motion or pictorial imagery, or depicts action or
a special effect to imitate movement, or the presentation of pictorials
or graphics displayed in a progression of frames that give the illusion
of motion or the illusion of moving objects, moving pattern or bands
of light or expanding or contracting shapes.
(g)
Functionality. All illumination must be in proper working order,
or must be shut down promptly, and no less than 24 hours after the
defect arises.
(4)
Illumination of conventional outdoor advertising signs. Illumination
shall be effectively shielded so as to prevent beams or rays of light
from being directed at any portion of the traveled rights-of-way or
which is of such intensity or brilliance as to cause glare or impair
the vision of the driver of the vehicle, or which interferes with
any driver's operation of a vehicle, and illumination shall not be
permitted that interferes with the effectiveness or obscures an official
traffic signal, device or signal. Advertising signs shall not be permitted
that are illuminated by any flashing, intermittent or moving lights
except those giving public service information such as time, date,
and temperature, weather or similar information.
(5)
Permit requirements. A sign permit application must be submitted to the Zoning Officer in accordance with § 130-75, in addition to the following requirements:
(a)
Engineered structure.
[1]
An outdoor advertising sign structure shall be entirely painted
every three years.
[2]
A condition of the permit is that every 10 years, the owner
of the outdoor advertising sign shall have a structural inspection
made of the outdoor advertising sign by a qualified Pennsylvania-registered
engineer and shall provide to the Borough a certificate from the engineer
certifying that the outdoor advertising sign is structurally sound.
[3]
A condition of the permit is that annual inspections of the
outdoor advertising sign shall be conducted by the Borough to determine
compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
(b)
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (Penn DOT). If a permit
from PennDOT is required, such permit must accompany the sign permit
application.
(c)
The sign permit application will be on a form developed by the
Zoning Officer, and will be accompanied by such plans and such information
as the Zoning Officer deems relevant. The application must be accompanied
by the appropriate fee, which will be set by resolution of the Borough
Council.
A.
Flashing signs shall not be permitted in any district.
B.
In addition to the provisions of § 130-32, no sign shall be so located or arranged that it interferes with traffic through glare; through blocking of reasonable sign lines for streets, sidewalks or driveways, through confusion with a traffic control device (by reason of color, location, shape, or other characteristics), or through any other means.
C.
All signs, except temporary signs, shall be constructed
of durable material and kept in good condition and repair or must
be removed by the property owner.
D.
Signs existing at the time of passage of this chapter
which do not conform to the requirements of this chapter shall be
considered nonconforming signs and, once removed, shall be replaced
only with conforming signs; however, nonconforming signs may be repainted
or repaired, provided that such repainted or repaired sign does not
exceed the dimensions of the existing sign.
E.
If an establishment has walls fronting on two or more
streets, the sign area for each street may not be computed separately.
F.
No signs, except those of a duly constituted governmental
body, including traffic signs and similar regulatory notice, shall
be allowed within street right-of-way lines.
G.
No portion of any freestanding or projecting sign
shall be located over the public right-of-way. If this requirement
cannot be met, then freestanding or projecting signs shall be prohibited
on such properties.
H.
Any vehicle to which a sign is affixed or painted
in such a manner that the carrying of such sign or signs no longer
is incidental to the vehicle's primary purpose, but become a primary
purpose in itself due to the location of the vehicle being parked
or stored on the property shall be considered a freestanding sign
and, as such, be subject to the provisions regarding freestanding
signs in the district in which such vehicle is located.
All signs, as defined in Article II, over six square feet in total overall area shall require the issuance of a zoning permit before erection or replacement.
